Television series

The Slap

Name: The Slap
Genre: Drama
Released: 2015
Cast: Zachary Quinto, Peter Sarsgaard, Thandiwe Newton, Brian Cox, Melissa George

Other titles called The Slap: the 2011 series (ABC).

Family drama

A single act of violence at a birthday party fractures a tight-knit circle of friends and family, forcing each to confront uncomfortable truths about themselves and each other. This is chamber drama as thriller—intimate, claustrophobic, morally messy. It's for anyone who's watched a social situation spiral and wondered how we got here.

TVMaze rating

3.6

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like slow-burning ensembles where one moral crack splits a family open and each person gets to defend their own version of events.

Skip it if you want a tidy whodunit with neat answers; the talky, emotionally messy style can wear thin when nearly everyone is hard to like.

What it asks of you: Eight one-hour episodes, unhurried and dialogue-heavy, where scenes run long and tempers simmer before they boil; it rewards patience more than quick attention.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Big Little Lies2017

Ensemble cast untangling secrets in a seemingly perfect community, with sharp writing and genuine stakes. Each episode deepens your sense of who these people really are beneath the surface.

But The mystery-box structure can feel manipulative, and some plot turns strain credibility. It also centers on extreme violence in ways that overshadow quieter, harder questions.

The Affair2014

Multiple perspectives on the same events reveal how much we lie to ourselves about our own culpability. Beautifully shot, genuinely unsettling, and it trusts you to sit with moral ambiguity.

But Bleak, repetitive, and the narrative structure gets gimmicky. Some storylines peter out or feel unearned by the end.

Carnivàle2003

A sprawling ensemble during the Depression where small acts ripple outward with mythic consequence. Darkly beautiful, full of weird electricity, and genuinely strange in the best way.

But The mythology is dense and sometimes impenetrable. It was cancelled before resolving major threads, which stings.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Slap

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer2017

Both use a single act and its fallout to interrogate how quickly social order collapses and how people rationalize the unforgivable.

A surgeon's family is methodically destabilized by a mysterious young man with a hidden agenda. Formally controlled, morally horrifying, and structured as pure escalation. Yorgos Lanthimos makes cruelty into ritual.

But Glacial, repetitive, deliberately artificial. The flat affect and lack of conventional emotion will read as cold rather than affecting to many viewers.

Parenthood2010

How family stress tests relationships and values. Less flashy than *The Slap*, but it understands how one decision can unravel years of stability and force everyone to choose sides.

But Relentlessly earnest and sentimental. If you don't buy into the family-first ethos, it can feel cloying.

The Newsroom2012

Aaron Sorkin's sharp dialogue and ensemble dynamics create constant friction between professional ethics and personal loyalty. Everyone thinks they're right, and they all kind of are.

But Smug, preachy, and the women characters are written with less depth than the men. It can feel like watching smart people convince each other they're smarter.

Olive Kitteridge2014

A small-town New England community where one harsh woman's presence ripples through multiple lives. Quietly devastating, and it shows how perspective changes everything.

But Meditative and slow, with no obvious narrative momentum. If you want plot-driven stakes, this will frustrate you.

Rectify2013

A man released after 19 years for a crime he may not have committed returns to a small town, forcing everyone to reckon with what they've done and believed. Extraordinarily intelligent and humane.

But The pacing is glacial. Some viewers find it too patient with its characters, and the Southern Gothic aesthetic isn't for everyone.

Godless2017

A mining town run entirely by women becomes a refuge for a fugitive, destabilizing everything. *The Slap* as Western—sudden violence disrupting community order, forcing a choice of sides.

But Uneven tone, some plotting feels scattered, and the runtime bloats with tangential scenes. Not all the character work pays off.

The Path2016

A cult member questions his faith, fracturing his family and community. Explores how easily we rationalize harm to protect our worldview. Genuinely unsettling and well-acted.

But The cult theology is sometimes confusing, and the show never quite commits to its own themes. Pacing drags in the second season.

The Breakfast Club1985

Same engine: forced proximity strips away the stories we tell ourselves and each other, leaving only messy human need. Both ask how much we're willing to change once we see the truth.

Five teenagers locked in a room together. Each arrives with contempt for the others; by the end, they've learned uncomfortable truths. The template for how a group's myths about each other crumble under pressure.

But It's a teen film, so the stakes feel low to adult viewers. The resolution is far more optimistic than reality warrants, and some character dynamics have aged poorly.